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Bulawayo Bureau
THE Zimbabwe Union of Journalists wants a single National Employment Council (NEC) for the whole media industry to address working conditions of all journalists.
At present newspaper journalists fall under a NEC that includes all other staff in the newspaper, printing and packaging industry and was an extension of the former NEC that represented printers, taking over from the NEC for the Commercial Undertaking of Zimbabwe responsible for journalists and commercial staff.
In a statement to mark Workers Day that is observed on May 1 annually, ZUJ president Mr George Maponga bemoaned working conditions for journalists, which he said do not compare with other sectors whose remuneration is sustainable.
“We are celebrating Workers Day at a time when the situation is not all rosy in the media industry.
“The role of the media is to educate, entertain and inform and we are exalting Government to expeditiously put in place a National Employment Council for the media industry, which will put in place a lasting solution to the poor salaries and working conditions that have condemned journalists to poverty,” he said.
“Today, we join the rest of the world in marking Workers Day when our tails are down because we have nothing to show for our toils every day to keep the nation informed.
“As ZUJ, we want to assure our members of our relentless pursuit of justice for all so that they are remunerated what is commensurate to their work.”
Mr Maponga said ZUJ will continue to push authorities to make sure that the NEC for the media industry sees the light of the day.
He added that it was disheartening to see that when the rest of the nation is moving ahead with the mantra ‘leaving no one and no place behind’, the media industry found itself behind other sectors in terms of remuneration and salaries.
“We hope ongoing engagements by the ZUJ will result in the creation and birth of a new epoch where journalists are recognised accordingly for their efforts so that at the end of the day they can compare favourably with other sectors in Zimbabwe and beyond.
“I want to assure you that all hope is not lost.
“We will continue fighting for what is rightly ours and we hope in the fullness of time professional journalism will return to its long lost lustre,” said Mr Maponga.
Online Reporter